Shashi Kapoor: Sammy
and Rosie Get Laid (he has been in a lot of films!)

Felicity Kendal:
Twelfth Night

Madhur Jaffrey: Flawless, Wolf

Why? Shakespeare

Seen: December 6,
2014

A troupe of Shakespearean actors are touring India
in the 1960’s. Exotic? Not at all. Nor is it glamorous. They’re just trying to
get by. From dinners with a minor king who remembers London nostalgically to
cars breaking down out in the middle of nowhere.

It’s very slow going and, frankly, not very remarkable.

Visually it’s very pleasing at times, though,
especially the Indian landscape in black and white.The Shakespeare bits are hammy, but
interesting.

The parallel story of a Bollywood star and her
two-timing boyfriends who flirts with the young Ophelia is confusing.

There are similarities to Ingmar Bergman.That’s not a compliment. I don’t like his
movies.

Well! It’s picking up. We get to know the characters
and we gain insight into the struggles of the theatre troupe on the skids and
the rootlessness of aging colonials still homesick for England.The conflict between the jealous macho Indian
playboy and the young English (though she’s never been to England) girl who
doesn’t want to give up her acting career though would if he asked her
to...sadly, typical of films from the 60’s, but well done.

It’s an odd film. Not what I expected. It doesn’t
move me but it’s interesting in its way.

2 ½ * of 5

PS I find that as I write this the next
day, the images of the film have stayed with me and my analytical brain cells
have been piqued.I want to see it
again.And so